Five essential steps for the successful restoration of archaeological sites
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A lecture on the restoration and preservation of Middle Eastern heritage was delivered at the American University of Kuwait(AUK) on Sunday. Dr. Jere Bacharach, Director Emeritus at the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies and a world-renowned Middle East studies scholar, spoke during the occasion. Dr. Bacharach outlined five essential steps to preserve cultural sites throughout the world.
The first is to have a plan of action. Although this may seem like an obvious step, every aspect of the preservation must be planned and fully considered before any actual restoration begins.
The second step is complete and total documentation, not only of the site’s initial state, but of everything that is done to restore and preserve it. Future archeologists and restorers must be able to determine what constitutes the original structure, as well as differentiate between successive restoration projects.
Dr. Bacharach was especially passionate about the role of documentation in sharing resources internationally. He emphasized the importance of placing information in online searchable databases, including anything from pictures of ancient coins, to Arabic inscriptions in Islamic art throughout the world.
The third step is to ensure that any work done on a historical site involves minimum intervention, that is to say, things are left as they are as much as possible. In Abydos, Egypt, bricks used to restore the Shunet ez Zebib, the burial temple built by Khasekhemwy, were made with mud, water, and wooden moulds, as in earlier times, but the straw in the bricks which attracts insects, was replaced by plastic, which is more durable.
The only changes made are those necessary for the survival of the site in the best condition possible.
The fourth step is that the restoration be completely reversible in case future technologies present a better way to conserve a given site. In the 1930s, the Great Sphinx of Giza was reinforced with steel bars which later corroded, weakening the ancient structure. The Egyptian Government is currently engaged in removing the steel beams, highlighting the necessity of a reversible restoration to maintain the integrity of any given structure in the long run.
Finally, the newest but no less essential part of any restoration plan is the reuse of the site. There should always be a plan for the site’s future and how it will serve the community, because this is the only way to ensure the site’s survival.
Only when a site becomes a part of a people, their consciousness, and their community can its restoration be considered truly successful.
Excerpted from an article by Sarah Alzouman for Kuwait Times
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